SILVER DRACHM - Sun, Moon & Fire Altar_ABSTRACT_Chalukyas of Ancient Gujarat

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4N43 FRASCATIUS ANCIENTS A BEAUTIFUL STYLIZED ANCIENT SILVER DRACHM (GADHAIYA PAISA) OF THE CHALUKYAS OF GUJARAT (INDIA) FROM THE 11TH CENTURY AD. HIGH QUALITY - BEAUTIFUL ABSTRACT DESIGN THAT IS 1,000 YEARS OLDACCORDING TO DEYELL, THIS TYPE TENDED TO SHOW SOME DEBASEMENT OF THE SILVERTHE SIZE IS 18.7 MM AND 4.12 GRAMS. Deyell 158, Mitchener 427 OBVERSE – Degenerate Indo-Sasanian style bust right, sun and moon above REVERSE – Stylized fire altar, sun (consisting of rosette of dots) above left, crescent moon above right The Indo-Sassanian's for centuries copied the design of the Sassanion Drachm Design of Persia which invented the design. The Obverse is a stylized bust facing right with the hair flowing left, and the reverse is a fire alter, common in the middle east up until this time period. Surrounding the alter is arms of servants to the religious ritual, both left and right. Pahlavi script was used on the coin and the dots you see might have been such script but worn through the ages. Gujrat is very ancient state and dates back to pre-historic age. The name of the state is derived from Gujjaratta (Gurjar Rashtra), which means the land of the Gujjars. It is believed that a tribe of Gujjars traveled to India around the 5th century. The early history of Gujarat & Saurashtra is full of imperial grandeur of Chandragupta Maurya who conquered a number of earlier States of Gujarat. Pushyamitra, a Vaishya, was appointed Governor of Saurashtra by the Mauryan regime. He ruled (322 BC to 294 BC) Giringer and built a dam on the Sudarshan lake. Emperor Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, not only ordered engraving of his famous edicts on the rock at Junagadh, but asked his Governor Tusherpha to take out canals from the lake where an earlier Mauryan Governor had built a dam.For nearly 400 years from the start of the first century, Saka rulers played prominent part in Gujarat's history. The Kshatrapa dynasty was replaced by the Gupta reign with the conquest of Gujarat by Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Vikramaditya's successor Skandagupta has left an inscription (450 AD) on a rock at Junagadh which gives details of the repairs of the embankment, damaged by floods, of Sudarshan lake by his Governor. Anarta and Saurashtra regions were both part of the Guipta empire. Towards the middle of the 5th Century AD the Gupta empire started to decline. Senapati Bhatarka, the Maitrak general of the Guptas, took advantage of the situation and in 470 AD he set up what came to be known as the Maitrak kingdom. He shifted his capital from Giringer to Valabhipur, near Bhavnagar, on Saurashtra's east coast. Maitrakas of Valabhi became very powerful and their writ prevailed over large parts of Gujarat and even over adjoining Malwa. Maitrakas set up a university which came to be known far and wide for its scholastic pursuits and was compared with the famous Nalanda university.The Solanki clan of Gurjars ruled Gujarat from 960 to 1243 AD. Gujarat was a major center of Indian Ocean trade, and their capital at Anhilwara (Patan) was one of the largest cities in India, with population estimated at 100,000 in the year 1000. In 1026 AD, the famous Somnath temple in Gujarat was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni. After 1243 AD, the Solkanis lost control of Gujarat to their feudatories, of whom the Vaghela chiefs of Dholka came to dominate Gujarat A True Auction Environment – Auctions start at $.99 with No Minimums and No Reserves.FULL UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY If the buyer feels that the coin received is not as represented - just return the coin and the buyer will be fully reimbursed for the cost of the coin; the original shipping charge; and the cost to ship the coin back… No Questions Asked. If the buyer is not happy, please let me know, and I will do what I can to make it right. INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS WELCOME. HAVE SHIPPED TO OVER 80 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES COVERING EVERY CONTINENT !!If you have any questions regarding this auction, please I ... read more

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